My horror movie roundups continue — Not all horror movies are scary and full of dismembered corpses. Some are quirky, funny, and enjoyable as a cross-genre exercise. Horror comedies are a rarity. A horror comedy is a movie that is both scary and funny by intent (Shaun of the Dead). Not to be confused with a horror movie that’s funny because it’s so awful it’s physically painful (Friday the 13^th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan). Still some do exist and are totally worth seeing when you want something Halloween-esque but not terrifying.

Shaun of the Dead
Summary: Zombies invade England, but the formula is a romantic comedy.

This is a simple case of boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl; but they fight zombies the whole way through. If you ask me that’s a hell of a romance. I mean what could possibly say I love you more than slaughtering droves of the undead to protect each other? Answer: Nothing. The icing on the cake is Simon Pegg and Nick Frost who are one of the most promising comedy pairs in recent memory. If you watch one movie on this list make it this one.

The Evil Dead Trilogy
I love Bruce Campbell! And to watch these movies you pretty much have too. Basically it’s Bruce fighting the forces of darkness. There is very little difference between Evil Dead 1 and 2; terrible weekend at a haunted cabin. The comedy is more notable than the horror. For example, a possessed girl sits indian style on the floor and sings London Bridge is Falling Down. I realize in a blog that sounds stupid, but on film it’s hysterical. Then Raimi, who wrote and directed the entire trilogy, yanks the audience back to a state of fear and tension within a few heartbeats. The effects are dated so be prepared.

The third film, Army of Darkness, is AMAZING! Bruce is transported to another dimension and faces off with the forces of darkness once again. There is a good and evil Bruce. It references the original Day the Earth Stood Still. And we get to see the infamous chainsaw hand. Granted it’s in 1992 special effects terms, but at least the third installment completely overcomes its period shortcomings.

A friend told me that this series stared the horror/comedy genre back in 1981. I can’t substantiate that in any way, but I’ve said it in front of a number of movie gurus and never been corrected so it’s at least as accurate as Wikipedia.

Scream– but it’s a tough call
Summary: Serial killers terrify a small town.

Many people would argue that this is a serious horror movie that falls short. Those people should seek mental help. Anyone who breaks into a cold sweat at the thought of Matthew Lillard stabbing Neve Campbell should most likely be culled from the human gene pool. And it’s directed by Wes Craven — I’m not a fan. Still, I really like this movie. It’s not scary, but as cute and endearing as a serial killer movie could be.

Club Dread
Summary: A murdered slaughters people at a paradise-esque resort.

Most people I know think this movie sucks…hard. I suppose if you were looking for Super Troopers 2 or a standard horror movie, disappointment was inevitable. On the other hand if you went in with a completely open mind and slightly artistic eye this film is quite a treat. That said there is a down side: the Broken Lizard crew didn’t seem to feel comfortable playing both roles. There were several moments when I wasn’t sure if they wanted me to feel fear and laughter simultaneously or if it was just an awkward moment.

Re-Animator
Summary: A mad scientist reanimates corpses. But things don’t go as planned.

I’ll admit I haven’t seen this flick in a few years. But I remember it clearly as a hysterical over the top macabre zombie romp with plenty of comedy. To be clear this is a cult film. Unless the Evil Dead series the movie takes itself much more seriously. It’s from the 1980s and based on a Lovecraft short story– it’s not for everyone. It’s probably a bit dated for most modern audiences. You have to work harder to get into the film because the special effects can’t carry you over the line.

Next week I’ll talk about vampires, and whether or not they even have a place in the Halloween landscape.

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